Jollibee TVC: Mas Masaya Ang Pasko Sa Pilipinas, Lalo Na Pag Buo Ang Pamilya

What’s the best way to celebrate Christmas than to spend it here in the Philippines with the whole family. Christmas is the most awaited time of the year when families and friends socially gather, eat sumptuous meals, give and receive wrapped gifts and just purely enjoy the holiday bliss.

(photo source: https://www.facebook.com/JollibeePhilippines)

Last night while watching my favorite TV show, I can’t help but be emotionally moved by the latest thematic TVC of Jollibee. It’s a story of 2 fathers who were both away from their loved ones for the past years on Christmas day. The pain and regret of not being with their families can be heartfelt through their eyes knowing that Christmas is meant for their precious ones.

The “balikbayan” father who works as an OFW abroad was extremely excited to reunite and surprise his wife and kids while at the same time saddened with the thought of the 2 Christmases he spent away from them stressing that he missed Noche Buena, Simbang Gabi and the mere presence and company of his family. Just imagine how hard it was for him to be far away from his children on the most celebrated day of the year. Meanwhile, the father who’s a cab driver here in the Philippines had been longing for his son who works overseas citing that he had been away for the past 5 years.

Here’s a clip of the TVC:

The stories of these 2 men represent the situations of most Filipino families. For greener pasture, fathers leave their families to support their needs, give them shelter, provide food on the table, send their kids to good school and cover other extra expenses to give them a better life. It may also be the other way around, grown-up kids leave the country to give their parents the best life that they deserve.

The blissful moment when the kids including the wife hugged their father left me teary-eyed plus the compassionate offer to adopt the driver on Christmas Day stating “kame ang pamilya mo ngayong Pasko” is highly gratifying. The joy is eminently apparent in the smile of the driver. The goodness and pureness of the hearts of Filipino people are embodied in this TVC, including the way we value our family, the generosity to share, willingness to accept a lonely soul and make him feel a part of the family even just for a day.

This TVC made me reminisce the moment when my father was in Saudi Arabia for how many years. I was a little girl back then and I honestly don’t have much memories of Christmas with him because of his absence. I remember fervently wishing to Santa Claus to bring him home even just on Christmas Day. Communication was way harder before because there’s no internet and phone calls were relatively expensive, what we had was a voice tape from my Papa that kept on playing every time my brother and I missed him. Imagine what I felt seeing my playmates with complete families celebrating Noche Buena and attending Misa De Gallo together.  A family will never be complete when one is away be it your mother, father or any of your siblings. And this emptiness is more felt on family events most especially on Christmas day.

Good thing, my papa decided to establish his own business here and we started to experience blissful Christmas together. Since then, we are always complete on this special day not until my brother commenced to work as a registered nurse in one of the prime hospitals in Singapore. He had been there for two years and managed to visit us once in a while but it’s still different when he’s not here on Christmas day.

With Jollibee’s latest TVC, I know many viewers will be able to relate including myself and personify themselves with the characters. I hope more OFWs or more Filipinos based in other countries have the opportunity to come home and celebrate Christmas here in our country. And, may there be more families who are willing to adapt and share their blessings to the less privileged ones.Time and again, tunay ngang mas masaya talaga ang Pasko sa Pilipinas, lalo na pag buo ang pamilya!